Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 128 / Thursday, July 8, 2021 / Notices 36179 

Company (BNSF) petitioned the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) to 

modify a waiver of compliance that 

provides relief from certain provisions 

of the Federal railroad safety regulations 

contained at 49 CFR part 213. FRA 

previously assigned the waiver Docket 

Number FRA–2020–0064. 

BNSF’s existing waiver identified two 

territories, the Powder River Territory, 

and the Southern Transcon Territory, 

where 49 CFR 213.233 visual track 

inspection requirements are replaced 

with a combination of performancebased automated and visual inspections. 

Automated inspections are performed 

by Unmanned Automated Track 

Geometry Cars every 12 million gross 

tons, not exceeding four weeks between 

tests, and visual inspections are 

performed either twice per month, 

weekly, or three times per week, based 

on risk model calculations made weekly 

for each track segment. 

BNSF is requesting to expand the 

scope of the waiver by adding two 

additional territories. First, BNSF 

requests to incorporate their Orin 

Subdivision, a 395-track mile line 

running from Donkey Creek Junction, 

Wyoming, to Bridger Junction, 

Wyoming, into the existing Powder 

River Territory. In support of this 

request, BNSF states that the 

operational, traffic mix, and weather 

characteristics of the Orin Subdivision 

are similar to the other subdivisions of 

the Powder River Territory. 

Second, BNSF requests to add a new 

territory to the waiver, their Northern 

Transcon Route. This 4,322-track mile 

line runs from Chicago, Illinois, to 

Seattle, Washington. In support of this 

request, BNSF references their 2020 

geometry defect rates along the route as 

lower (safer) than the rates of the 

Southern Transcon Territory. 

In support of its petition, BNSF 

references data and analysis from their 

Track Inspection Test Program, Docket 

Number FRA–2018–0091, and data and 

analysis already available in Docket 

Number FRA–2020–0064. BNSF states 

that all requirements of the waiver have 

been met during implementation on the 

Powder River Territory and Southern 

Transcon Territory. BNSF contends 

there are no unique characteristics of 

the Northern Transcon Route or Orin 

Subdivision that would prevent BNSF’s 

successful implementation of the 

existing relief over those additional 

territories. BNSF concludes that adding 

the two new territories will result in net 

safety benefits for those territories due 

to the increased geometry inspections 

and data-driven visual inspections. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, if any, are available for review 

online at www.regulations.gov. 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in these proceedings by 

submitting written views, data, or 

comments. FRA does not anticipate 

scheduling a public hearing for these 

proceedings since the facts do not 

appear to warrant a hearing. If any 

interested parties desire an opportunity 

for oral comment and a public hearing, 

they should notify FRA, in writing, 

before the end of the comment period 

and specify the basis for their request. 

All communications concerning these 

proceedings should identify the 

appropriate docket number and may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• Website: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, W12– 

140, Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Ave. SE, Room W12–140, Washington, 

DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

Holidays. 

Communications received by August 

23, 2021 will be considered by FRA 

before final action is taken. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered if practicable. Anyone can 

search the electronic form of any written 

communications and comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the document, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). Under 5 

U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments 

from the public to better inform its 

processes. DOT posts these comments, 

without edit, including any personal 

information the commenter provides, to 

www.regulations.gov, as described in 

the system of records notice (DOT/ALL– 

14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 

https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. 

See also https://www.regulations.gov/ 

privacy-notice for the privacy notice of 

regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC. 

John Karl Alexy, 

Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, 

Chief Safety Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14535 Filed 7–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration 

[Docket No. PHMSA–2020–0164] 

Frequently Asked Questions on 911 

Notifications Following Possible 

Pipeline Ruptures 

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice; draft frequently asked 

questions. 

SUMMARY: The Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA) is soliciting public comment 

on draft frequently asked questions 

(FAQs) intended to clarify existing 

regulatory requirements that operators 

of natural gas transmission and 

distribution pipelines and hazardous 

liquid pipelines alert emergency 

responders when a pipeline emergency 

occurs. The draft FAQs explain that 

compliance with these existing 

requirements is best achieved when 

operators promptly identify a possible 

rupture and alert emergency responders 

in the impacted community or 

jurisdiction through 911 services, or 

direct contact with emergency 

responders in areas where 911 services 

are not available. 

DATES: Comments on the draft FAQs 

should be submitted to Docket No. 

PHMSA–2020–0164 no later than 

August 9, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: E-Gov Web: http://

www.regulations.gov. This site allows 

the public to enter comments on any 

Federal Register notice issued by any 

agency. Follow the online instructions 

for submitting comments. 

• Mail: Docket Management System: 

U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Department of 

Transportation (DOT) Docket 

Management System: West Building, 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9:00 

a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through 

Friday, except federal holidays. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Instructions: Identify the Docket 

No. PHMSA–2020–0164, at the 

beginning of your comments. If you 

submit your comments by mail, submit 

two copies. If you wish to receive 

confirmation that PHMSA received your 

comments, include a self-addressed 

stamped postcard. Internet users may 

submit comments at http://

www.regulations.gov. 


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36180 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 128 / Thursday, July 8, 2021 / Notices 

• Privacy Act: DOT may solicit 

comments from the public regarding 

certain general notices. DOT posts these 

comments, without edit, including any 

personal information the commenter 

provides, to www.regulations.gov, as 

described in the system of records 

notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can 

be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy. 

• Confidential Business Information: 

Confidential Business Information (CBI) 

is commercial or financial information 

that is both customarily and actually 

treated as private by its owner. Under 

the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 

(5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from 

public disclosure. If your comments 

responsive to this notice contain 

commercial or financial information 

that is customarily treated as private, 

that you actually treat as private, and 

that is relevant or responsive to this 

notice, it is important that you clearly 

designate the submitted comments as 

CBI. Pursuant to 49 CFR 190.343, you 

may ask PHMSA to give confidential 

treatment to information you give to the 

Agency by taking the following steps: 

(1) Mark each page of the original 

document submission containing CBI as 

‘‘Confidential,’’ (2) send PHMSA, along 

with the original document, a second 

copy of the original document with the 

CBI deleted, and (3) explain why the 

information you are submitting is CBI. 

Submissions containing CBI should be 

sent to Byron Coy at Pipeline and 

Hazardous Materials Safety 

Administration, Eastern Region, PHP– 

100, 840 Bear Tavern Rd., Suite 300., 

West Trenton, New Jersey 08628. Any 

commentary PHMSA receives that is not 

specifically designated as CBI will be 

placed in the public docket for this 

matter. 

• Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for accessing the dockets. 

Alternatively, you may review the 

documents in person at the street 

address listed above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Byron Coy, Senior Technical Advisor, 

Program Development Division, by 

telephone at 609–433–2173, or by email 

at Byron.Coy@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2011, 

NTSB issued several safety 

recommendations following its 

investigation of the natural gas pipeline 

rupture and explosion that occurred on 

September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, 

California. Finding that the operator of 

the pipeline, Pacific Gas and Electric 

Company (PG&E), had not notified 

emergency officials that the accident 

involved the rupture of one of PG&E’s 

pipelines, NTSB made the following 

recommendation to PHMSA: 

Require operators of natural gas transmission 

and distribution pipelines and hazardous 

liquid pipelines to ensure that their control 

room operators immediately and directly 

notify the 911 emergency call center(s) for 

the communities and jurisdictions in which 

those pipelines are located when a possible 

rupture of any pipeline is indicated. (P–11– 

9) 

Under existing pipeline safety 

regulations, operators are required to 

alert emergency responders when a 

pipeline emergency occurs. Section 

192.615(a)(8) requires operators of 

natural gas pipelines to notify 

appropriate fire, police, and other 

public officials of gas pipeline 

emergencies. Section 195.402(e)(7) 

requires operators of hazardous liquid 

pipelines to do the same. Operators are 

also required to establish and maintain 

means of communication with 

appropriate fire, police, and other 

public officials under §§ 192.615(a)(2) 

and 195.402(c)(12). 

In response to NTSB’s 

recommendation, PHMSA first surveyed 

existing FAQs in related areas to 

determine if, and where, 911 

notification following a possible rupture 

had already been addressed. As part of 

its research, PHMSA examined general 

PHMSA and pipeline safety FAQs, as 

well as FAQs related to gas 

transmission, gas distribution, 

hazardous liquid integrity management, 

control room management (CRM), and 

operator qualification. 

PHMSA found that existing FAQs 

most closely related to this topic are 

those addressing CRM. These FAQs 

(listed in the Appendix) include the 

following: 

• C.07 and C.09, which address 

emergency communications. 

• F.01, G.02, G.03, H.06, and H.07, 

which cover emergency operations. 

PHMSA found, however, that the 

existing FAQs do not explicitly address 

911 notification in response to a 

possible pipeline rupture. In addition, 

while the FAQs pertain to CRM, some 

pipelines operate without a control 

room. 

PHMSA considered adding 911 

notifications to existing FAQs but 

determined that could dilute the 

importance of emergency notification 

requirements, as well as divert attention 

from the specific topic of the existing 

FAQs. Accordingly, PHMSA believes 

that the safety issues raised in NTSB’s 

recommendation are of sufficient 

importance to merit new FAQs. In 

addition, since control room personnel 

may be fully occupied during an 

emergency addressing the emergency 

itself, an operator’s procedures could 

assign the duty to notify emergency 

responders to others. Also, many 

smaller pipeline operators do not have 

control rooms. As a result, PHMSA is 

creating guidance for all operators to 

contact emergency responders without 

specifically stating that it must be the 

pipeline controllers who make the 

notification, as mentioned in the NTSB 

recommendation. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on July 2, 2021, 

under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97. 

Alan K. Mayberry, 

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. 

[FR Doc. 2021–14582 Filed 7–7–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration 

Hazardous Materials: Notice of Actions 

on Special Permits 

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of actions on special 

permit applications. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

procedures governing the application 

for, and the processing of, special 

permits from the Department of 

Transportation’s Hazardous Material 

Regulations, notice is hereby given that 

the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety 

has received the application described 

herein. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before August 9, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Record Center, Pipeline and 

Hazardous Materials Safety 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Transportation Washington, DC 20590. 

Comments should refer to the 

application number and be submitted in 

triplicate. If confirmation of receipt of 

comments is desired, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard showing 

the special permit number. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Donald Burger, Chief, Office of 

Hazardous Materials Safety General 

Approvals and Permits Branch, Pipeline 

and Hazardous Materials Safety 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, East Building, PHH–13, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue Southeast, 

Washington, DC 20590–0001, (202) 366– 

4535. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of 

the applications are available for 

inspection in the Records Center, East 


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